A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the art of processes for linking an information database with an insurance application, and more particularly to the process of linking credentialing information with a medical malpractice insurance application.
B. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that regulatory agencies in the United States require health professionals to have their credentials verified every two years. Verification is a time consuming process that typically includes the assembly of various documents, including proof of the physician's license, a valid Drug Enforcement Agency certificate, proof of completion of medical school, proof of board certification, proof of appropriate work history, etc. Thus, the verification process often takes many days and sometimes weeks to complete. Unfortunately, this time consuming process is the only known way that the regulatory agencies can ensure the public that it is receiving care from a qualified medical professional.
It is also well known that the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) sets the standard for credentialing in managed care organizations. Defined as “the process by which a managed care organization authorizes, contracts, or employs, practitioners, who are licensed to practice independently, to provide services to its members,” credentialing simply means making sure that a practitioner is qualified to render care to patients.
Although there is likely to be some variation on the specific criteria used, the basic elements required in establishing proper credentialing information for a physician are likely to include the following: a valid and current license, clinical privileges in a hospital, valid Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) or Controlled Dangerous Substance certificate (CDS), appropriate education and training (i.e. graduation from an approved medical school and completion of an appropriate residency or specialty program), board certification, appropriate work history, malpractice insurance, and a history of any liability claims. Managed care organizations also credential nonphysician practitioners, such as dentists, chiropractors, and podiatrists. The primary differences between physician and nonphysician practitioners for purposes of credentialing, lie in the requirements, and therefore, in the verification of select data. For example, chiropractors are not board certified and do not require DEA or CDS certificates.
Credentialing is a necessary and critical step in securing qualified practitioners to render and manage the care of managed care organization subscribers or members. The managed care organizations oftentimes delegate certain activities in the credentialing process. A Credentials Verification Organization (CVO), which may be certified by NCQA, will verify a practitioner's credentials for a set price. Contracting with a NCQA-certified CVO exempts the hospital, healthcare entity, or managed care organization from the due diligence oversight requirements, specified by NCQA and the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), for all the verification services. By contracting out the necessary credentialing to a NCQA-certified CVO, the managed care organizations have met their due diligence requirements.
CompHealth, a licensed CVO in the United States, has developed a new web-based credentialing service, moving as much of the process online as possible. One of the keys to the credentialing service is an Internet application called Apply.net. Medical professionals can use the Apply.net application to submit their information to CompHealth via the Internet. However, there is currently in the art no known connection between the credentialing services, the credentialing information, and the property and casualty insurance industry.
The Federal government has attempted to alleviate some of the problems of credential sharing among separate government entities. The Federal Credentialing Program was created to attempt to electronically link credentialing databases among the federal agencies and departments. However, this credentialing information sharing is limited to the federal government and does not involve the insurance industry.
The present invention provides a process for quickly and efficiently linking credentialing information with a medical malpractice insurance policy. Difficulties inherent in the related art are therefore overcome in a way that is simple and efficient while providing better and more advantageous results.